Official: Iran able to make nuclear bomb, no decision to build one yet

Kamal Kharazi, the head of Iran’s Strategic Council on Foreign Relations, told Al Jazeera’s Arabic channel the country has the technical capacity to build a nuclear bomb. Iran was already enriching uranium up to 60%. Uranium enriched to 90% is suitable for a nuclear bomb.

“We can easily produce 90% enriched uranium,” Kharrazi said Sunday. “Iran has the technical means to produce a nuclear bomb but there has been no decision by Iran to build one.”

Karrazi’s comments came a day after President Joe Biden returned to Washington following his trip to the Middle East. A major focal point of the visit was getting leaders of the Middle East in agreement that nuclear grade weapons should stay out of the hands of Iran.

“As we continue to work closely with many of you to counter the threats posed by foes in the region, by Iran, we’re also pursuing diplomacy to return constraints on Iran’s nuclear program,” President Biden said. “But no matter what, the United States is committed to ensuring that Iran never gets a nuclear weapon.”

The leaders of Israel and Saudi Arabia, whom Biden spoke with, appeared to be on the same page. On Sunday, Israeli interim Prime Minister Yair Lapid said he clarified to Biden “that Israel opposes the nuclear agreement and reserves full freedom of action, political and operational, facing the Iranian nuclear program.”

“We call on Iran, a neighboring country with religious and cultural ties to us, to cooperate with the nations of our region,” Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman added on Saturday. “We call on them to comply with international law, to not interfere with the internal affairs of other nations, to cooperate with the International Atomic Energy Agency, and to fulfill its obligations in this regard.”

Israel has threatened to attack any Iranian nuclear sites if diplomacy fails to contain Iran’s nuclear ambitions. Iran has reportedly held “extensive drills” to “strike deep inside of Israel” if it is targeted.

Reuters contributed to this report.